Energy Bill Passes in Senate

Finally, an energy bill is being debated that might actually help the entire USA. It passed in the Senate, 65-27,on Thursday and now we await a bill from the House. The energy bill is far from perfect.

Democrats wanted electricity producers to cut their reliance on coal and use at least 15% of energy obtained from alternative sources. Republicans nixed that because climate change is not caused by humans.

Democrats wanted to raise taxes on oil and gas companies, but although these companies are awash in profits it wasn't enough for Republicans. They nixed the tax increase.

The energy bill also calls for raising fuel efficiency standards, to 35 miles per gallon for cars and light trucks by 2020. Of course the auto industry hates this and claims it is not obtainable. They always say that.

Adirondack Musing is Rated R!

Did you know you can get your blog rated? You certainly can right here.

This blog is rated "R" based on the presence of the following words:

gay (15x) dick (1x)

Did I use the word dick somewhere? I forget. Funny it objects to the word "gay" but not to the word "penis".

Fact or Opinion and Logical Fallacies

Being able to distinguish facts from opinions, or the capacity to think critically, should be an important outcome of education. People are entitled to their own opinions, but shouldn't one be able to justify how they arrived at their opinion? Shouldn't a valid opinion be based on facts, information or evidence and not just on beliefs?

Most people believe homosexuality is not "normal". That may or may not be true. But it is a logical fallacy (appeal to belief) to use that argument to form a valid opinion.

It doesn't matter if you are a pedophile or not if there is no God. This is known as an appeal to consequences of belief. "God must exist! If God did not exist, then all basis for morality would be lost and the world would be a horrible place!"

How about an appeal to fear? We should all be familiar with this one since our government has used it against us for the past 6 years or so. Most pedophiles are gay! There is also a problem with cause and effect (questionable cause) here. Is A the cause of B simply because they might occur together?

Here is one that really gets to me. The fallacy of the middle ground. Opinions A and B are extreme to one side or another. My opinion C must be correct because it lies in the middle. The middle ground often is correct but that is not always the case.

Statement: People are born gay. Question: What is your proof? Reply: No one has been able to prove it. This is an appeal to ignorance. The burden of proof is on the wrong side.

Physics for Future Presidents

Want to learn some physics without all the math? Listen to Prof. Richard Muller here. What does it mean to be hotter? What is the law of conservation of energy? Lot's of demonstrations.

Courage of NY Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward

The New York Assembly passed same-sex marriage legislation Tuesday night and Teresa Sayward (R-Elizabethtown) was one of four Republicans that voted in favor of the legislation. Thirty-eight Republicans and twenty-two Democrats along with a single independent voted against the Bill.

As the debate wound down, Teresa Sayward spoke emotionally of the struggles faced by her gay son as he grew up wanting "to be normal." She pleaded with fellow Assembly members to back the bill.

"Let's search our hearts tonight and do the right thing," said the Willsboro Republican as her colleagues rose to applaud her.

It's interesting to contrast comments from progressives and conservatives when it comes to the issue of gay marriage. Progressives speak of equal rights while conservatives speak of what the bible says, what the Catholic nuns taught, how gay marriage will destroy the family, etc.

I was surprised and pleased to hear gay marriage being discussed on Saranac Lake's "Talk of the Town" (on Tuesday). Many callers, 10 out of 18, were in favor of NY granting the right of marriage to gays. Unfortunately, the callers that were opposed to gay marriage gave the same tired reasons why it should never happen. One caller even proclaimed how the incidence of AIDS would increase if gay marriage was allowed! Another big reason to oppose gay marriage is that it is "just not normal" Some callers were good enough to define "normal" for the listening audience. Gay people are not "normal" because they are in the minority. Or, if you want to know what "normal" is.....read the bible (I choked on my coffee on that one).

Today (Wed.)on TOT our conservative friend "Gary, from Bloomingdale" gave us the benefit of his knowledge (the mp3 is only up for a week so listen while you can).

1. You are not born gay
2. I believe being gay is something you choose, it's a sexual preference
3. I know people that were married, had children, and then "turned" gay.
4. If you believe in God you gotta be saying "well God you made a mistake with me". If there is a God, he doesn't make mistakes.
5. If there is not a God it doesn't matter whether you are gay or not, does it? Doesn't matter whether you are a pedophile or not if there is no God.
6. The majority of gay people that I have known are a psychological mess, they really are.
7. Most pedophiles are GAY! (based on the fact that Catholic priests didn't molest any girls).
8. People better start quit looking through clouded glasses at this
9. And people asked what's normal? Normal is the way nature made you. That's normal.

You might think that Gary is wrong, but he checks into these things pretty carefully (he tells us).

"Alternative Medicine" and Critical Thinking

OK, Americans are probably not any more ignorant than people of other countries. But, can you argue that we have a deficiency in the ability to think critically?

Let's take the "alternative medicine" product Enzyte, of "natural male enhancement, for example. This is a "nutraceutical" sold by Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals.

How could anyone possibly fall for the annoyingly, stupid "Smiling Bob" commercials is beyond me. Yes, I know, "a fool is born every minute", "a fool and his money is soon parted (or elected)" and "never underestimate the power of human stupidity.

Makers of Enzyte made some remarkable claims such as:

• “The first all-natural male enhancement program that adds one to three inches to your size in just eight months or get double your money back”
• “100% Safe with a 98.3% Success Rate”
• “…your erectile chambers, as well as your penis, will enlarge up to 41%”
  

With absolutely NO scientific evidence to back up their claims. Yet the company was allowed to advertise and sell this product on TV for years knowing that they would make millions scamming people [the company made $100 million dollars selling enzyte in 2003 and had a sales force of 800 persons to handle the orders]. How can a company get away with such a scam? Easy, thanks to the "Dietary Health and Education Act of 1994". There is no need for a dietary supplement to be proven effective or even safe in some instances.

Now a Class Action Suit will likely soon be settled to the tune of only $4.7 million dollars. The company walks away with hundred of millions of dollars from scaming people that cannot think critically.

An Independent Candidate for President?

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has changed his party affiliation from Republican to "blank". Does this mean he is planning to enter the US Presidential race? There are a few people running that are rich enough to buy a couple of states. Bloomberg is rich enough to buy a country. He can finance his own campaign. He appears to be honest.

What is Wrong With Americans?

A question from a 2007 Jun 1-3 Gallop Poll

Creationism, that is, the idea that God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years.

Definitely true - 39%

Probably true - 27%

Probably false - 16%

Definitely false - 15%

No opinion - 3%

Total true - 66%

Total false - 31%

There may be some reasons why people might believe God created human beings. But just 10,000 years ago? Are Americans (USA) ignorant? Did those polled understand the question? Is it a badly worded question? Do 2/3's of us in the USA really believe mankind is only 10,000 years old? Does that mean they think the Earth is only 10,000 years old?

What gives here?

A Third Way in Iraq

There is an open letter to President Bush, from Republican Presidential candidate James Gilmore III, in todays Washington Post. He proposes a "new" way to solve our Iraq problem. Something the Democrats have not proposed.

I believe that the American military is on target when officers ask for a mission that includes maintaining -- either at bases in Iraq at the request of Iraq or in bases in Turkey, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia -- a military force powerful enough to launch special operations missions against al-Qaeda or Sunni insurgents in Iraq; train Iraqi troops to defend their own country; and guarantee the security of the Iraqi government, if so desired by Iraq.

It seems to me that that is just what some Democrats have proposed for almost two years now (think John Murtha). I've yet to hear any Democrats say that withdrawing troops from Iraq means we will ignore problems that can be addressed using military force, such as fighting al-Qaeda, securing Iraqs borders or training Iraqi troops.

"Winning" the Iraq War

Four years into a war with Iraq we still have no idea what "winning" the war means. Those that claim we can "win" the Iraq War are hard pressed to explain what "winning" the war means.

Here is one definition of winning the war. An agreement among Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish Iraqis to form a government that is fair to all and understands the "rule of law". Raise your hand if you believe that is ever going to happen.

But we have to "win" the war for several reasons we are told. First, if we don't defeat "them" "over there", we will have to "fight" them on the shores of the USA. Bullshit! That's what we were told during the Vietnam War too. But we Americans are a fearful people and that tactic always seems to work.

Second, we are told that if we don't "win" the war in Iraq the consequences in the Middle East will be devastating. This is probably true and it's already happening. I guess the neocons should have paid attention to the many people that told them this is what would happen before we started this stupid misadventure.

But do the countries in the Middle East really want this "devastation" to happen? I'm not sure that they do. Is there any possibility that some diplomacy might be used to prevent further destabilization of the Middle East because of our stupid blunder in Iraq?

Whether we stay or go there is going to be civil war in Iraq. The Shia are going to win, the Sunni are going to suffer and we are going to end up with a religious fundamentalist state of Iraq. I don't believe there is any way to prevent that short of reanimating Saddam and restoring him to power. I think we need to get the rest of the world, including the Arab countries to pressure Syria, Turkey and Iran to not meddle in the Iraq Civil War.

There is one lesson to be taken away from the Iraq War. A lesson that many of us already understood. You cannot force Democracy at the point of a bayonet

Where Do Our Prisons Fit In?

Want to read about (and see) the most valuable prison, the smallest prison, the most secure prison etc.? Read what "deputydog" has to say about prisons.

I believe I might be getting a daylong tour of our own ancient bighouse Dannemora. I hope they let me take some picts.

Vertical Farming

See many more pictures, complete with explanations here.

How do you feed and provide water (using evapotranspiration) for 50,000 people and help prevent climate change using a 30 story building in the middle of a city? Vertical farming is one answer. A lot of our current and coming earthly problems could be solved by not clearing more and more land for agricultural purposes. Clearing of land for agriculture can result in desertification, increased pollution, increased use of pesticides and herbicides, deforestation, even increased disease in some cases.

The lack of posting for the past few weeks has been due to not finding anything interesting to talk about. Today I was in the Saranac Lake Free Library browsing Popular Science (I read it for the pictures) and whose picture was on the first page of one of the articles? Dr. Dickson Despommier, one of the world's most interesting parasitologists/ecologist (now a medical ecologist?). But urban vertical farming is an idea worth thinking about and will almost certainly come to fruition some day.

But I need not explain it. There is an excellent article about vertical farming in the New York Times magazine here.

Los Straitjackets and Big Sandy

Rep. Gillibrand Replies - Sort of

A couple weeks ago I was complaining about Rep. Gillibrand's vote on Iraq War funding. Of course I sent her an email about my concern of her voting in favor of funding the war. Here is her email reply.

Dear,

It has been five exciting months since I have taken the oath of office and I wanted to take a moment to update you on my work in the House of Representatives.

Before I was sworn into Congress I organized my office to center around the principles of accountability, transparency and accessibility. I was proud to be the first Member of Congress to disclose my public schedule online. I also have committed to holding at least one, public Town Hall forum each month; additionally I regularly schedule Congress At Your Corner events, where I go to a popular area in the community- like a grocery store- in order to talk directly with local residents to listen to their priorities for Congress.

After last November, I immediately hit the ground running. Speaker Pelosi appointed me to the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, a platform that allows me to influence the policies of the Democratic Caucus. In the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress, I was honored to be a lead sponsors for H.R. 1, a bill to implement the 9/11 Commission recommendations.

My first full House committee appointment was to the prestigious House Armed Services Committee, where I have focused on improving the quality of life for our soldiers and their families, and finding a successful exit strategy for the war in Iraq . The war is one of the most pressing issues our country faces, and I have helped mold legislation in committee that will place additional pressure on the Iraqi government, while also funding essential investments in training, equipment and benefits for our troops.

Furthermore, I was fortunate to be selected to the House Committee on Agriculture- one of only three Northeast Members on the committee. We are currently writing the five-year Farm Bill, and I have dedicated myself to helping New York 's dairy farmers. The first bill that I introduced was H.R. 1583, the American Dairy Farmer Protection Act, which expands the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program for small dairy farmers. I am also focused on creating and expanding our nation's conservation and renewable energy programs, a policy that will reinvigorate Upstate New York's economy and standard of living.

In April, I introduced and passed an amendment to H.R. 363, the Sowing the Seeds Through Science And Engineering Research Act. The amendment creates a scholarship program for undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. I am focused on fostering my district's emerging high tech industry, and keeping Upstate New York's best and brightest students in the region.

Most recently, I have been working on lowering taxes for New York families. New York has the second highest tax burden in the country, therefore, bringing tax relief to Upstate New York families is one of my highest priorities in Congress. My second bill, the Family Care Act [H.R. 1871], doubles the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (DCTC) for families that earn up to $100,000. In addition, I am concerned about the effect unfunded federal mandates have on our property taxes, such as the inadequately funded No Child Left Behind Act. I believe we must sufficiently invest in our national priorities, like health care, education, homeland security and our veterans.

I want to thank you for all your support and warm wishes. I would not be in this position without your encouragement and your dedication to changing the direction of our country. Please do not hesitate to contact me at kirsten.gillibrand@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Kirsten Gillibrand
Member of Congress

First, I'm happy I got a reply. No politician typically replies to an email message. I'm not happy that the email didn't address my concern about Iraq War funding. On the other hand, had I written a letter, I'm pretty sure I would have obtained the same type of reply. "Look at what I've done since I've been elected". Well, that's very nice, keep it up. But what about my question concerning your vote in favor of continued funding for the Iraq War? Receiving this type of form email has done nothing to increase my future confidence in Rep. Gillibrand.

Here's a piece of advice. Just state your reason why you felt you had to vote for continued funding of the war. I may not agree with your reason, but I will appreciate that you are being honest and upfront.

Post-Marathon Relay Party in Underhill, VT

"Open For Suggestion" A talented group of VT high school sophmores that provided some great entertainment.



Be sure and watch the herd of belted galloway cattle run up to hear the music! (at 2:27)



Twist and Shout (with Heron). And, yes I did the rope swing.



Be sure and watch the horse "rockin" at 1:50. This farm has the coolest animals!

SLU Graduation

The "Band".


The Faculty


The Student


The Diploma

SLU Graduation - The Day Before

President's reception.


2007 Grads at "camp" (Trout Lake) celebration


2007 Grads with SLU student friends

Visit to The Wild Center

We finally used our free pass to visit The Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks.


It's a beautiful building located on a beautiful site. Lots of landscaping is ongoing. A pond is located on one side of the building and it comes right up to the side of the building almost at eye level. The admission fee is a bit steep at $14 for an adult. But it includes admission to the awesome multimedia presentation, "Carl Heilman's Adirondacks" in the Flammer Panaromas Theater.


The main attraction at the museum are the otters and they are loads of fun to watch. They seem to enjoy performing for the spectators.


But they are just too fast to allow a good underwater picture.




The museum is a great place to learn about aquatic wildlife. You will also learn alot about what is going on under the forest floor. There are also many, many videos explaining everything from possible effects of global warming on the Adirondacks to invasive plants to natural history of white tailed deer.

There are a number of trails located on the property including one that winds its way down to the Raquette River. I'm guessing that the trails are not as cool as those located at the Paul Smiths VIC because they are located in a relatively populated area.

The most important part of the museum is the "classroom". It is outfitted something like a biology lab and includes "tons" of things that students can put their hands on.

All in all the museum is worth a visit even with a $14 admission fee. It remains to be determined how much return traffic the museum will have.

An Egghead for President

I love Eugene Robinson's editorial in todays Washington Post. He writes that the next President of the United States needs to be a brilliant person and I agree completely.

Actually, I want a president smart enough to know a good deal about science. He or she doesn't have to be able to do the math, but I want a president who knows that the great theories underpinning our understanding of the universe -- general relativity and quantum mechanics -- have stood for nearly a century and proved stunningly accurate, even though they describe a world that is more shimmer than substance. I want him or her to know that there's a lot we still don't know.

I want the next president to be intellectually curious -- and also intellectually honest. I want him or her to understand the details, not just the big picture. I won't complain if the next president occasionally uses a word I have to look up.

A President that can reason. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Democrats have some good candidates running for President and I could support a number of them. But you know what? I'm one of those that think Al Gore should be our next President. He has already shown he could win a Presidential election and his political stock has since risen. Don't give me that crap about being "stiff and wooden". I could care less. We need someone with more than half a brain in the White House. The current president has proven that.

Al Gore can do exactly what "Tricky Dick" Nixon did back in 1968. Rolling Stone online describes exactly why Al would make a great candidate for President.

If the Democrats were going to sit down and construct the perfect candidate for 2008, they'd be hard-pressed to improve on Gore. Unlike Hillary Clinton, he has no controversial vote on Iraq to defend. Unlike Barack Obama and John Edwards, he has extensive experience in both the Senate and the White House. He has put aside his wooden, policy-wonk demeanor to emerge as the Bush administration's most eloquent critic. And thanks to An Inconvenient Truth, Gore is not only the most impassioned leader on the most urgent crisis facing the planet, he's also a Hollywood celebrity, the star of the third-highest-grossing documentary of all time.

"He's perceived very differently now than he was six years ago," says Frank Luntz, the Republican consultant who advised George W. Bush to dispute global warming during the 2000 and 2004 elections. "He's an icon. Imagine that: Al Gore, Mr. Straight and Narrow, Mr. Dull on Wheels -- now he's culturally cool."

Saucy Posse Wins Women's Open VT City Marathon Relay

Team placing in all relays.


43rd place with 1049 teams behind. About 4% of teams ahead.

Team placing in open relay



25th place with 639 teams behind. About 4% of teams ahead.

Team placing in open relay - women



1st place with 95 teams behind.